Massachusetts Quality Review Rubric for History and Social Science (HSS) Lessons & Units – Version 1.0

Grade: History and Social Science Lesson/Unit Title: Overall Rating:

I. Alignment to the revised History and Social Science standards / II. Key Areas of Focus in the revised History and Social Science Standards (Standards for Literacy in History Social Science) / III. Instructional Supports / IV. Assessment
The lesson/unit aligns with the HSS Frameworks:
  Focuses teaching and learning on a targeted set of grade level standard(s) (unpacked) at the expected level of rigor. **
  Identifies, addresses, and integrates into the lesson/unit the relevant history and social science concepts, skills, and literacy standards (unpacked where needed). **
  (3-5) Builds students’ content knowledge and their understanding of reading and writing in the social studies. / The lesson/unit reflects evidence of the HSS standards in addition to the shift articulated in the HSS Literacy Standards:
  Focus: Centers on the core content, concepts, skills, and level of rigor that are articulated in the standards. **
  Coherence: Makes connections and provides opportunities for students to transfer knowledge and skills within and across subjects and progressions of learning.
  Literacy to support Content Learning: Supports student learning of, and engages students in, disciplinary literacy, knowledge, and skills that enhance the learning of history and social science, including the use of informational texts, primary and secondary source material and writing.**
  Application: Provides opportunities for students to apply content, concepts, and skills in real-world situations.
  Academic Vocabulary: Focuses on building students’ academic vocabulary in context throughout instruction. **
  Source-Based Evidence: Facilitates evidence-based discussions and writing through inquiry and analysis of primary and secondary sources and other source material including illustrations, charts, diagrams, audio/video, and media to inform, explain, deliberate, or make an argument.** / The lesson/unit is responsive to varied student learning needs:
  Engages students in appropriate experiences to support learning of the core ideas, concepts and practices in the targeted standards. **
  Elicits students’ prior knowledge and addresses common student conceptions relevant to the targeted standards. **
  Supports students in making evidence-based explanations and critiquing claims of others about the core ideas and concepts being learned. **
  Includes clear and sufficient guidance to support teaching and learning of the targeted standards, including, when appropriate, the use of technology and media. **
  Uses and encourages appropriate academic language, terminology, and concrete or abstract representations (e.g. pictures, symbols, graphics, models) in the discipline. **
  Engages students through relevant, thought-provoking questions, problems, and tasks that stimulate interest and elicit disciplinary thinking.
  Integrates appropriate supports for students who are ELL, have disabilities, or perform well below grade level.
A unit or longer lesson should:
  Recommend and facilitate a mix of instructional approaches for a variety of learners, including such strategies as modeling, using a range of questions, checking for understanding, flexible grouping, pair-share, scaffolding etc.
  Demonstrates an effective sequence and a progression of learning where the concepts or skills advance and deepen over time.
  Provides for relevant and authentic learning, application of literacy skills, student-directed inquiry, analysis, evaluation, and/or reflection. / The lesson/unit regularly assesses whether students are mastering standards-based content and skills:
  Elicits direct, observable evidence of the degree to which a student can independently demonstrate the major targeted standards.**
  Assesses student proficiency using methods that are unbiased and accessible to all students.**
  Includes aligned rubrics or scoring guidelines that provide sufficient guidance for interpreting student performance **
A unit or longer lesson:
  Uses varied modes of curriculum embedded assessments that may include pre-, formative, summative, and self-assessment measures.
Rating: 3 2 1 0 / Rating: 3 2 1 0 / Rating: 3 2 1 0 / Rating: 3 2 1 0
Rating Scale for Each Dimension:
3: Meets all “must have” criteria (**) and most of the other criteria in the dimension.
2: Meets many of the “must have” criteria and many of the other criteria in the dimension.
1: Meets some of the criteria in the dimension.
0: Does not meet the criteria in the dimension. / Overall Rating for the Lesson/Unit:
E: Exemplar Lesson/Unit - meets all the “must have” criteria (**) and most of the other criteria in all four dimensions (mainly 3’s).
E/I: Exemplar if Improved - needs some improvement in one or more dimensions (mainly 3’s and 2’s).
R: Needs Revision - is a “work in progress” and requires significant revision in one or more dimensions (mainly 2’s and 1’s).
N: Not Recommended - does not meet the criteria in the dimensions (mainly 1’s and 0’s).


Reviewer’s Observations, Comments, and Suggestions:

I. Alignment to the Rigors of the CCSS / II. Key Areas of Focus in the CCSS / III. Instructional Supports / IV. Assessment
Observations and Comments: / Observations and Comments: / Observations and Comments: / Observations and Comments:
Recommendations for Improvement: / Recommendations for Improvement: / Recommendations for Improvement: / Recommendations for Improvement:
SUMMARY COMMENTS:

HSS Quality Review Rubric created by Karen P. White (Massachusetts) – facilitated by Jacob Foster (Massachusetts) and drawing from the TriState Collaborative Quality Rubrics for ELA and Mathematics

May 2012